missing ALA this year

I sort of have a “How can I miss you if you won’t go away” feeling about ALA most years. I went when I was a councilor. I went when it was near me. I went when I was speaking at it. This time, none of these things were true and I was still a little exhausted from ALA Anaheim last year where my credit card number was skimmed and I had to drive an hour to get a decent restaurant. This year ALA is sounding fun, from the reports. ALA is always a better time when it’s in Chicago. More of the staffers can go and more people are used to the location and can get decent hotel rooms and the weather isn’t horrible. At least that’s been my experience. My work travel this month is going to consist of a trip to New Orleans next week [another popular ALA summer venue] for MetaFilter’s Tenth Anniversary where I will be paid to drink beer and eat alligator and wear a catchy t-shirt. Here are a few links I’ve been seeing about what I feel I’ve been missing at ALA.

5 Responses to "missing ALA this year"

It was fun. (I already left, so it’s in the past tense for me.) Handing out zines was a blast, the Library Society of the World meetup was a good time. The secret twitter account was a riot for a short time, but went the way of all public anonymous stuff (thanks for for finding that link to the Washington City Paper article). The only other notable thing you left out from my point of view was the ALA Unconference, which I will write more about on my own blog.

I think I’m still wanted by the ALA for pre/post combination violations (where they tried to bill me nearly a year later for being a student + member, rather than a student member. At best, they could have gotten restitution for precisely the amount they already had, less costs).

It was great fun. Twitter is wonderful and the photo/tweet tracker by Heather is way awesome!

By Shannan 19Jul09 - 1:46

Oddly, I didn’t miss it at all this year. Unlike your horrible experience last year (ouch!) I actually enjoyed Anaheim more than I’ve enjoyed ALA for a few years. And the last time it was in Chicago I had a terrible experience – though not as bad as yours in Anaheim! The worst for me was Orlando where I had the fun experience of an “attempted strong-arm robbery” when someone tried to mug me in the parking lot of my hotel.

Anaheim though, I had fun – it was the first time I really took some time out to be a “tourist” and went on one of the Hollywood tours for fun and I was staying in one of the hotels *across the street* from the convention centre. Too often I’d go to conference and never get away from the convention centre and convention hotels – and never really experience the cities they were in!

I think I was maybe a bit burned out on ALA too. I was never working at a library that supported going so I was usually the only one from my library there. And now, since Anaheim, I’ve moved to Canada so maybe I’ll try CLA in Edmonton next year! And for now I’m off to check out those links you gave! Thanks!